Fastener for the meeting-rails of sashes



(No Model.)

F. J. RABBETH. FASTENER'FOR THE MEETING RAILS OP SASHES.

No. 467,954. Patented Feb. 2, 1892.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS J. RABBETII, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

FASTENER FOR THE MEETING-RAILS OF SASHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 467,954, dated February 2, 1892. Application filed June 3,1891. Serial No. 395,154. (No model.)

T0 (0% whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANCIS J. RABBETH, of

Boston, county of Suifolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Sash- Fasteners, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification,like letters on the drawings representing like parts.

My invention relates to a fastener or look for window-sashes, and is embodied in a fastener which is automatic in operation,locking the sashes when the window is shut, and which may also be employed to lock the sashes when part way open, or, in other words, to permit the raising of the lower sash or the dropping of the upper sash, or both, for a short predetermined distance, and then positively prevent further movement of the sashes in the direction to open the window.

The fastener will be described as applied to window-sashes having the ordinary arrangement, the said sashes running in grooves or guideways in the window-frame and the lower sash being at the front of the upper sash.

The fastening consists, essentially, of a movable locking-bar securely fastened to the stile or vertical member of the upper sashframe and having a rib or projection that overhangs the top of the lower sash and is normally in position to engage with the upper rail of the lower sash or a bearing-plate fixed thereon, so as to prevent movement of the said lower sash upward or of the upper sash downward. The said locking-bar is shown as pivotally connectedwiththe stile of the upper sash, so that the force of gravity or that of a spring, or botlncauses it normally to hang in a slightly-inclined position, with its lower end projecting out over the upper rail of the lower sash,thus obstructing the movement of both sashes; but when said lockingbar is moved by the operator into line with the line of movement of the sashes its lower end just clears the meeting-rail of the lower sash or is in line with a notch or recess provided in said rail to receive the said lockingbar, which thus permits free movement of both sashes. In the construction which is believed to be the most desirable the lockingbar is a strip of metal flanged or L-shaped in cross-section, with its flange projecting out like a spline or rib from the stile of the up of the person operating it, who merely has to press said handle firmly against a stop provided for it in order to bring the locking-bar in line with its notch, so as to permit either sash to be moved. \Vhen the sashes are wholly closed, the flange of the locking-bar passes out of the slot and swings over the unslotted part of the bearing-plate, and thus automatically locks the sashes.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a sash embodying this invention; Fig. 9, a plan View thereof below the section plane indicated at a: in Fig.1 on a larger scale; Fig. 3, a detail showing a portion of the upper rail of the lower sash in rear elevation; Fig. 4, a front elevation showing a modification of the construction shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and Fig. 5 a sectional plan on line :0 of Fig. 4:.

The fastener consists, essentially, of a locking-bar a, shown as pivotally connected at a with the stile Z) of the upper sash a short distance above the meeting-rail c of the lower sash, which is preferably provided with a metallic facing or bearing-plate cl upon its upper surface. The said locking-bar a is preferably a flanged strip of metal L-shaped in cross-section, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the flange a thereof projecting out from the face of the stile b and overhanging the top of the meeting-rail c of the lower sash, so as to engage with the said meeting-rail of the bearing-plate (Z thereof, and thus positively obstruct the movement of both sashes, except when the said locking-bar a is moved into such position as to be in line with a recess in the bearing-plate (Z or wholly beyond the end of said bearing-plate and of the rail 0 of the lower sash, so that the movement of said sashes is then unobstructed.

When the locking-bar c is pivoted, as shown, its pivotal point is so located that the said bar will normally hang under the action of gravity in a slightly-ihclined position with relation to the stile b, as shown in full lines, Figs. 1 and 4, in which position the flange a 5 overhangs the rail of the lower sash in position to obstruct the movement of both sashes, and it is obvious that the bar a will always come to such position when the window is closed without care on the part of the person closing the window, or, in other words, the locking of the window will be effected automatically when the sashes are broh'ght to pcs'ition to wholly close the window. I

If desired, the bar a may be acted hpon by a spring tending to throw it to the locking p sit o a s own; i i s land we S i s'p Ye, Fig. ,Zhhehding to p esfs outward a be fa hh1t,e at ther of the bath; th end of which be H n'g against the o1 er oi'f the bar d, crowds the sa liar edposit ioh, wilhb'e ii "ders "'od .1 and 2. tiono'ft hat a may iiit'he hepivoteh air-sang to stile b, as sh'owh ih Maths he pivoted by rive to a a t gna e @16 a e jf'as eh'ed to the stile; as shown hi Figs. 1ahu2. In order nl kfih s sh 7 h h y B 'e jo'r, o ereq' the, jk h r a eh v tsxsuch .po's t i a its '"ge with thetop by pressih the 10 er e'hd the to aid the a g 'd ill 's'fVirig the liar into pbl hown t a tea lines, Fig. in which the e antes d rectly alohg the edge of he t i -head; h n: Hewett the (if parting-beadand th ihd or s es an run r reelyhp the lower the or the he, se ojh'oe entered etween the partin ea and lowersash. In order to secfu ore'e'fte'ctive operation of the lockahdto prevent p'jossibilityot' its be- 'i e fci with by ahythih g being inset-ted n thejs'ashe'sfrom the outside 'of the (low, it is preferably arranged and opei} ated as sh at n; Figs, 1-, 2, and 3, in which the bar is hung with its flange a 'a short distance from the partihghead f, and the bearing plate dispro vi'ded with a notch d tsee Fig. 2) in proper position to receive the flange a when the latter is brought into I lihe with the stile b. The said bearing-plate d is also provided with a flanged and an operatinghandle or thumb-piece h, pivoted at 71 upon said bearing-plate, so that when turned by the operator from the full to the dotted line positioii, Fig. 2, the end of the handle h engages the flange of the bar a and brings it directly over the notch 01?, so that when either sash is moved the said flange a will pass through the slot d and will thus otter no obstruction to the movement of the sash. The handle It is provided with a stop M, which brings upon the fl'ahge d when the said handle h is moved to the proper position to place the flange a in lihe with the slot d thus inr ger e splihe or i ili cohsash with the recess in sash. The 's'piing h? moves the handle 7t away from the fl'ahge d as shown, as the said haiidle is i eleas'ed by the operator, thus leaving the bar a free t6 swing into the inclined position as so'o'h' as the sashes are closed, so as t" 'hsui-e the aiitoth'atic lockiiig of the said she's. mother to inshr'e the proper entrance'of the upper end of the flange a ihto the notch d ih the act of clo's'iiig the sashes, the said he'arihg-plat'e cl; has a flange or portioh eta-(see Fig. 3,) that extends down overth'eiear edge of the hie'etingq-ail and is provided with a fl'ariiig hatch o guideway ,dflthe edges of which converge toward the notch d in the top surface of the bearingplate. In the'closiiig venie'nt of the sash theupp'er end or the' flang a5, which is near the pivot-poiht a mid thushasvbu't little lat eral movement, enters the wide end of the notch C1 and will h gu'idetl into the notchd after which 13H?) ieinaihder oithe flange a? will pass freely thr'ohgh the said notch, lo'eih-g held thereby in line of mov h't of tlie sa'shhntil the sash-e are wholly closed arid the lockihg-bar a has passed out of the hot-ch and stahdsaho'v'e the bearingp a'te (1, when the said bar will immediately s wihg (hit of line of the notch and thhs lock the windows until it is again placed in line therewith by the manipulation of the hairdie ;h by the hper'ator at the ihside of the window. .By turning the locking bar to thehorizontal positron; as shown ih Fig. 1 it will obstruct the movement of the sashes beyond a point at which the hi'eeting fail hot the lower sash res'ts against the said locking-bar, shown in dotted lines, and thus the said locking-bar may he einployed to prevent opening movement of either sash beyond the amount thus determined by the length of the locking-bar itself-that is, assuming that the locking-bar a, Fig. ,1, is about four inches long, it will, when turiied to the dotted-line positio'n, adniit of an opening of the sashes a trifle less than four inches, which opienihg "may be made either by lowering the upper sash or raising the lower sash or divided between the two.

The invention is not limited to the precise construction shown, as it is obviousthat the changes can be made without materiallyaltering the construction and mode of operation of the mechanism.

It is not in all cases essential that the locking-bar should have a pivotal movement, the said bar consisting, cssential1y,of a spline or rib fastened to the upper sash, which normally projects over the top of the lower sash, but which can be moved into line with a recess or space of the lower sash when it is desired to permit movement of the sashes.

I clain1 1. A sash-fastener comprising a locking-bar movably connected with the stile or vertical member of the upper sash and normally projecting over the top of the lower sash, said locking-bar being movable to bring it into register with a recess in the lower sash to permit movement of the sashes, substantially as described.

2. Thelocking-bar pivotally connected with the vertical member of the upper sash and normally hanging in an inclined position with relation thereto, combined with the top rail of the lower sash, recessed to permit the passage of the said locking-bar only when in line with the line of movement of the sashes, substantially as described.

The combination of the locking-bar connected with the vertical member of the upper sash and movable with relation thereto with a notched bearing-plate on the lower sash and a movable handle thereon, by which the locking-bar is engaged and moved into line with the notch of the bearing-plate, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4:. The locking-bar pivotally connected with the upper sash and projecting over the lower sash, combined with a notched bearing-plate on said lower sash and a spring acting on said locking-bar to move it out of line with the said notch, substantially as and for the purpose described.

5. The locking-bar pivotally connected with the upper sash and projecting over the lower sash, combined with a notched bearing-plate on said lower sash, provided with a flaring or V-shaped guide at the rear of the sash converging toward said notch, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presenceof two subscribing witnesses.

FRANCIS J. RABBETH.

\Vitnesses:

J 0s. P. LIVERMORE, M. E. HILL. 

